Rapid Changes in Southern Ocean Upper‐Water Temperature Linked to Shift of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies Since the Last Glacial
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The pattern and cause of upper‐water temperature (UWT) variations on millennial timescales in the Southern Ocean (SO) and the mechanism of their interaction with high‐latitude Northern Hemisphere climate remain unclear. Here, we reconstructed millennial‐scale subsurface temperature (subST) records from the Weddell Sea during the Last Glacial and Deglacial, combining them with subST and surface temperature records from the Antarctic and Subantarctic zones. UWTs in the SO underwent rapid changes that have covaried with Antarctic atmospheric temperatures since the Last Glacial. Rapid changes in SO UWTs were controlled by a shift of the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies through modulation of the strength of the upper‐ocean heat reservoir and upwelling of Circumpolar Deep Water. In addition to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the upper SO heat reservoir also played an important role in the “bipolar thermal seesaw.” Our study highlights the significance of the SO in abrupt climate changes and their interhemispheric teleconnections.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2025gl119621
Institutions: Ministry of Natural Resources, First Institute of Oceanography, Ocean University of China, China University of Geosciences, Chengdu University of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, University of Cincinnati, Northwest University, State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
OpenAlex ID: W7171854727